NHS Lothian patients access health information online
Portal \'significant stepping stone\' in strategy to provide patients with access to their own records
Patients at NHS Lothian will soon be able to access up-to-date information about their health and care online through a new patient portal.
Over the past month a small group of patients has begun securely accessing information including test results, allergies, clinical documents and information about past and future appointments electronically.
The patient portal is a significant stepping stone in our strategy to provide patients with access to their own patient information. It ensures that patients are better informed about their health while providing them with opportunity to monitor and take greater responsibility for their own healthcare
The information is made directly available from TRAK, which provides patient management information and the Scottish Care Information Store (SCI Store) - an information repository that is traditionally used to provide clinicians with secure access and the ability to share patient information. It is then brought together and accessed by the patient through the Harris Healthcare Patient Portal.
Martin Egan, director for eHealth at NHS Lothian said: “We have had great success in utilising a clinical portal at NHS Lothian to share patient information among clinicians across other health boards.
“The patient portal is a significant stepping stone in our strategy to provide patients with access to their own patient information. It ensures that patients are better informed about their health while providing them with opportunity to monitor and take greater responsibility for their own healthcare.”
Not only is the patient portal expected to ensure that patients are able to access their own information, NHS Lothian hopes it will free up clinical and administrative time, too. Patients will no longer need to ring up to check appointments and in some cases will not need to phone to check results as they will be made more quickly and efficiently available through the portal.
Egan said: “I was one of the first users of the patient portal and could instantly see the benefits that it will bring.
“For too long, patients have relied on healthcare professionals to find out and monitor basic information about their health or condition. The portal helps to encourage a step-change in putting the patient at the centre of the NHS.”
For too long, patients have relied on healthcare professionals to find out and monitor basic information about their health or condition. The portal helps to encourage a step-change in putting the patient at the centre of the NHS
The health board, which provides healthcare to more than 840,000 people across Lothian and Edinburgh, is continuing to enhance and define the system before gradually deploying it to different patient groups across the region as part of a wider rollout.
Wayne Parslow, vice president of Harris Healthcare Solutions EMEA, said: ‘NHS Lothian is an innovative and forward-thinking organisation that recognises the need to share information appropriately among the relevant stakeholders. /
“The organisation has already made considerable advances in securely sharing crucial patient information across geographical boundaries and inter-agency. We now look forward to working with the organisation on their journey to provide patients with the information they need to be more informed about their health.”
